


Breaking the Seal

by Lady B (PlanetClare)



Category: Thunderbirds, international rescue - Fandom, thunderbirds are go
Genre: Avalanche, Breaking the Seal, Close Encounter, F/M, Family Dinners, Heroism, International Rescue, Marooned, Oort Cloud, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Self-Sacrifice, Separation Anxiety, Shore Leave, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Positioning, Sibling Rivalry, Siblings, Thunderbird 2 - Freeform, Thunderbird 5, Thunderbirds - Freeform, Thunderbirds are Go! - Freeform, Tracy Island, We Have a Situation, help is on the way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28358334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetClare/pseuds/Lady%20B
Summary: Following the rescue of Jeff Tracy from the Oort Cloud in deep space, International Rescue undergoes readjustment to his homecoming.
Relationships: Captain Ridley O'Bannon/John Tracy, Gordon Tracy & John Tracy, Grandma Tracy & Tracy Boys, Grandma Tracy & Virgil Tracy, Jane Carter/Scott Tracy, Jeff Tracy & sons, Pen & Ink - Relationship, Pen/Ink, Penelope "Pen"/Gordon "Ink", Penelope Creighton-Ward/Gordon Tracy, Tracy Brothers - Relationship, Virgil Tracy & Captain McCready, Virgil Tracy & Gordon Tracy, Virgil Tracy/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 15





	1. Shore Leave

**Author's Note:**

> © 2020 Planet Press. The characters herein are the creation of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson who retain the rights. The characters of Kayla and Teresa are this author’s creation. 
> 
> Note:
> 
> \- A “holophone” is a cell phone that is capable of projecting hologram images. 
> 
> \- The GDF is the Global Defense Force – an organization created by the World Council to enforce law and order and to maintain the peace and prosperity of the people of Earth.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the challenging rescue of trapped workers in a tin mine, Thunderbird 2 heads home. During the flight, the Tracy brothers share some insecurities.

“Thunderbird 5, this is Thunderbird 2. The miners are all accounted for and have been taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. Thunderbird 2 is heading back to base,” said pilot Virgil Tracy in a decisive tone.

“F.A.B., Thunderbird 2,” his younger brother John replied from International Rescue’s space station.

Looking to his left, Virgil noticed that his always talkative, outgoing brother Gordon sat quietly in the copilot’s chair.

“What’s up with you, Gordon?” asked Virgil with his black hair still spikey despite the helmet that he wore during the rescue.

“Huh?” the blonde teenager asked as his brown eyes met Virgil’s amber ones.

“You’re normally pretty chatty. Why so quiet today, ‘Sir Laughs-a-Lot?’”

“I’ve just got something on my mind – stuff to think about.”

Looking shocked, Virgil jokingly flinched and raised his eyebrows.

“What? I think deep thoughts,” Gordon protested.

“So, what is it? What’s on your mind?” pressed the twenty-three-year-old becoming serious as he navigated his huge, green ship.

Virgil’s brothers knew that the second eldest Tracy son was always deeply concerned about the welfare of his siblings, having inherited their mother’s nurturing spirit. Following her death in an avalanche when they were young, he took it upon himself to look out for his brothers’ emotional wellbeing.

When his brother did not immediately reply, Virgil added, “‘A burden shared…’”

Gordon sighed deeply and thought for a moment before responding.

“I’ve been talking to someone...a ‘lady’ friend...” the nineteen-year-old said.

“Uh-huh?” replied Virgil keeping his eyes on the sky ahead of them.

“Well...I guess I’m just not sure where it’s going,” Gordon confessed.

“Hmm...” Virgil remarked. “Where do you _want_ it to go?”

“Well...I don’t know...I’d like it to get more...serious...but...I don’t know, Virgil. I think she’s out of my league.”

Smiling at his brother, Virgil teased, “Are you kidding? Lady Penelope is _definitely_ out of your league.”

Flustered, Gordon became animated.

“Lady Penelope? Who said anything about Lady P?”

“Don’t get me wrong. You clean up nicely when you want to. How does Lady P feel about things?”

“It’s _not_ Lady P!” Gordon insisted.

“Come on, Gordon. The jig is up.”

Thinking for a moment, the copilot asked quietly, “How did you guess?”

“I wasn’t sure at first, but I suspected. Then, you got that package a few weeks ago – the one with no sender’s name and an unfamiliar return address. It was sent by Royal Mail.”

“Yeah...so what? You know I buy old collectibles online...” Gordon reminded him.

“The box contained books...”

“Right,” agreed Gordon.

“...and two boxes of those cookies – ‘biscuits’ – that Lady Penelope likes,” Virgil added with a smile.

Gordon stared at his older brother for a long while. Finally, he admitted, “Just call me ‘obvious.’”

Laughing, Virgil advised, “You practically sit up and beg every time you hear her name.”

“I do not!” his brother protested. After a moment, Gordon agreed, “Okay, she’s out of my league.”

Just then, Virgil’s eyes widened as a look of realization crossed his face.

“What?” Gordon asked.

Virgil suddenly asked, “Thunderbird 5, have you been listening to any of this?”

“Nope,” John fibbed as his smiling holographic image appeared on the console of Thunderbird 2.

“Aw, man! It was supposed to be a secret!” whined Gordon.

“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me,” John promised the youngest of the three.

“Oh, yeah? What about your 'housekeeper' up there – the ‘little picture with big ears?’”

“I heard that, Gordon Tracy,” snapped EOS, John’s Artificial Intelligence assistant.

From Thunderbird 5 above, the redheaded astronaut promised, “EOS won’t tell anyone either.”

“Better not,” Gordon mumbled.

Continuing, Virgil asked, “So, Gordon, seriously – what’s the problem?”

“I’m worried we’re not compatible.”

“Penelope seems to like you just fine. Besides, you know what they say: ‘posh girls like a bit of rough.’”

John and Virgil laughed in unison.

“Oh, I’m rough?” Gordon asked in dismay.

“Aw, don’t be so sensitive,” urged Virgil.

“It’s easy for you. You’re the lady’s man.”

Smiling, Virgil asked, “Am I?”

“You know you are. You’re a girl magnet. That’s why you give good advice about girls.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. To be honest, I’ve got a bit of a problem myself,” the pilot admitted.

“Oh, yeah? With who?” Gordon queried.

“Grandma.”

 _“Grandma?”_ Gordon and John repeated in dismay.

“Yeah.”

“Wait...I’m confused,” stated Gordon. “I thought we were talking about girls.”

“Grandma’s a girl,” Virgil noted.

“Not really, and that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about _real_ girls – romance!”

“I’m getting to that,” said Virgil. “So, you know how I take Grandma to Honolulu once a month to buy the provisions?”

“Yeah?” said Gordon and John in unison.

“Well, the last three months, while we were there...we had...‘separate excursions.’”

“What the heck does that mean?” Gordon wondered.

“Well, three months ago, I asked Grandma if it was okay if I went to visit a ‘friend’ while we were in Honolulu.”

“And?” Gordon asked leaning closer to his older brother.

“And...Grandma said yes. She offered to go have a two-hour lunch while I visited...this ‘friend’ that I met on an earlier visit.”

“So, what’s the problem?” asked a curious John.

“The problem is that when I took Grandma to Honolulu the other day for this month’s provisions, Kayla and I – ”

“Kayla – that’s your ‘friend?’” Gordon asked with air quotes.

“Yeah.”

“So? Come on – details!” chirped Gordon.

Virgil continued, “As I was saying...during my visit, Kayla and I...had a ‘close encounter.’”

Gordon and John were quiet for a few moments, and then Gordon said, “Whoa...So, did Grandma find out?”

“Oh, yeah,” Virgil confirmed.

“How?” asked an intrigued John.

“She touched my hair,” Virgil admitted.

“Your hair?” Gordon and John wondered aloud.

“When I met up with Grandma, we got back onboard Thunderbird 2. As she was climbing into the copilot’s seat, she put her hand on the back of my head.”

“So?” asked Gordon.

“My hair was wet,” confessed Virgil.

Both John and Gordon thought for a few moments about what this meant. Finally, Gordon’s brown eyes opened wide and his mouth was agape.

“You were having a ‘close encounter’ while Grandma was eating finger sandwiches? Dude! I was wondering who’d be the first to ‘break the seal!’”

Virgil lowered his chin and admitted, “I let things get out of control. It wasn’t my best moment.”

“What constitutes ‘breaking the seal?’” John wondered.

Peering at John’s hologram, Gordon explained, “It’s not just a ‘close encounter’ but having a parental unit find out about it.” Turning to the pilot again, he continued. “Man, I always thought _I’d_ be the one to ‘break the seal.’ Virgil, you’re my hero!”

“Trust me – it’s nothing to be proud of.”

“That depends on how you look at it, bro,” the teen quipped with a wink.

“What did Grandma say? You and she are close,” John reminded Virgil.

“I’m not so sure about that anymore. After she touched my hair, she didn’t say another word the whole way home.”

“Maybe she thought it was sweat,” suggested Gordon.

“No, I’m pretty sure she could smell the shampoo,” Virgil insisted. “Believe me, that trip home was the longest two hours of my life. I still can’t look her in the eyes.”

“So, what happened when you got home?” Gordon wondered.

Sighing, Virgil replied, “All she said was, ‘Kid, I hope you’re being careful,’ and we haven’t had a lot to say since. I feel awful about it.”

The three siblings were quiet for a few moments and then middle brother John suggested, “Maybe you should talk to Grandma about it. She can be very understanding about things.”

“I think you should just let the dust settle,” decided Gordon.

Ignoring him, John queried, “So, what happens next month when you have to take Grandma to Honolulu to shop?”

“I’m going to fix this. I’m going to take her to afternoon tea. I already made the reservation for us.”

Smiling approvingly, John said, “She’ll love it.”

Curious, Gordon leaned toward Virgil and asked, “Are you still gonna see Kayla next month?”

Staring straight ahead out the window, Virgil replied, “Nope.”

Surprised, Gordon wondered, “NO? You mean you’re gonna stop talking to her because of Grandma?”

Correcting him, Virgil stated, “I didn’t say I’m not gonna speak to Kayla anymore. I’m just not going to see her on shopping day anymore. There’s always telechats, and I can take a day off and go see her. No more rookie mistakes.”

“Hmm...yeah...” Gordon agreed pondering his brother’s decision.

“I’m gonna make it up to her. She likes music, so I bought a pass for a holoconcert that her favorite band is doing.”

Perking up, Gordon asked, “Oh, is that one of those hologram concerts where you tune in and it’s like a private show in your living room?”

“Yeah...exactly!” agreed Virgil.

“That’ll keep you in her good books,” decided Gordon.

“Well, I hope so,” said Virgil. “She’s a nice girl. I like her a lot.”

“Don’t worry, _‘Virg.’_ Things are gonna work out with Kayla. Right, _‘Johnny?’”_

“Don’t call me ‘Johnny,’” his brother cautioned.

“Hey! Since we have your ear, Johnny Boy, how are things with you and Captain Ridley? That’s her name, right – the scientist on the neighboring space station?”

“We’re not discussing her, _‘Gordo,’”_ John warned flatly.

Virgil could tell by John’s tone that he was becoming annoyed with Gordon who sometimes went too far with his joking. When their mother died, Gordon was just three years old and thus, he did not remember her well. However, her absence took the greatest toll on John who was almost five when she died. Now twenty-one, he was the most sensitive and serious of the five brothers and never recovered from their mother’s loss. After their father was marooned in space and presumed dead, Virgil noticed that John had become even more distant from his brothers. There was a sadness in him that could not be changed. Fortunately, after International Rescue learned a few months ago that Jeff Tracy was alive and subsequently rescued him a week ago, John’s mood had brightened. He smiled more often and had even been home for dinner twice. Virgil worried that Gordon would now trigger a setback by annoying John.

“Guys?” said Virgil sensing that things were about to become personal. As the family peacemaker, he stepped in when the brothers squabbled. He cared deeply for each of his brothers and was fiercely protective and supportive of them. He also wanted everyone to get along, especially after their father’s sudden absence.

“So, what’s up, John? A gentleman never tells?” wondered Gordon.

“Right, but you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” John quipped.

“Touché, John,” Virgil mumbled.

“Okay...go ahead and keep your secrets,” Gordon remarked dismissively with the flick of his left hand.

“Will do.”

Whispering to Virgil, the wide-eyed blonde said, “He needs to get out more.” Undeterred, Gordon asked, “So, John, when are you coming home for a visit?”

“Why?” his brother asked pointedly.

“I don’t know. Maybe we could go skin diving like we used to...or surf. You’re the other ‘water bug’ in the family. Come hang out with me.”

“We _all_ surf and swim, Gordon,” John reminded him.

“Yeah, but no one can keep up with me like you can.”

John smiled at the compliment.

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” teased Virgil, and he knew it to be true. While all of the Tracy boys were good at sports, John and Gordon excelled at underwater sports. Virgil called them “mermen” due to their skills at skin diving and apparent obsession with the feeling of weightlessness.

“While I appreciate that, Gordon, I’m too busy to come down right now,” John stated.

Attempting to use psychology to coax him into changing his mind, Gordon suggested, “Well, maybe you’re right. You’re in Thunderbird 5 all the time and probably out of condition.”

“Oh, boy...” Virgil said with a sigh.

John was quiet for a few moments as his hologram stared at Gordon’s on his end. Finally, the space monitor said, “I assure you that’s not the case.”

“Well, come down, slap on some fins, and we’ll see,” the teen challenged as he clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back in the copilot’s seat. When John did not immediately respond, he began to cluck like a chicken.

“Aren’t you going too far?” Virgil asked calmly.

“That’s it!” snapped John. “If it’s quiet this weekend, I’m coming down there and show you who’s ‘out of condition.’”

“Awesome!” Gordon proclaimed giving John a double thumbs up.

“Uh...kids...” Virgil sighed.

“Thunderbird 5 is out,” John declared as he cut off communication.

Gordon proudly smiled at Virgil and said, “See, I knew I could get him to come down.”

“Yeah,” agreed his brother. “I just wouldn’t want to be you when he gets here.”

Suddenly, Gordon’s holophone buzzed. Retrieving it from his gear, he read a note and exclaimed, “Hey! This girl Cassie posted on her socials that she’s throwing a party at her place today. It starts at 1 o’clock. You think we could go?”

Virgil did not hesitate to remind his brother, “You know the drill: There have to be no missions. We have to have finished our chores, and both Grandma and Scott have to say ‘yes.’”

Thinking for a moment, Gordon replied, “...but dad’s home now. Doesn’t that change things?”

Virgil pondered the new development and agreed. “Yeah...I guess it does.”

After Virgil docked Thunderbird 2 on Tracy Island and the brothers disembarked, Virgil set the craft for refueling, and they entered the compound eager to shower and relax for a few moments.

When they entered the commons room, they saw their father Jeff Tracy sitting at his large red desk as he read the news on a holotablet. Trying to get caught up on the events that he missed during the time that he was marooned in space had become almost an obsession for the father of five.

“Hello, boys! I heard your mission went well,” he noted with a broad smile.

“Yes, it did, Dad,” Virgil confirmed as he came to a stop next to his father’s desk.

“Good! Is everyone safe?”

“Yes, sir. We took the miners to a local hospital where they’re being cared for.” Virgil knew that his father had been informed by John of the outcome, but Jeff still liked to get mission reports from the pilots themselves.

“Glad to hear it. Good job, boys!”

“Thanks, Dad!” the two said and then proceeded toward the living quarters on the third level of the compound.

On their way up the stairs, Gordon’s holophone buzzed again. “Oh, man...I gotta take this!” he said and then sprinted to his room quickly closing the door behind himself.

“Don’t mind me,” mumbled Virgil as he proceeded to his room. Once inside, he undressed and started the shower in the bathroom which separated his room from big brother Scott’s.

* * * * * *

Gordon lay on his bed whispering into his holophone when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.

“Just a sec,” he said as he saw the youngest brother Alan poke his head through the gap in the doorway.

“Hey, Gordon...?”

“What do you want, squirt?” he snapped as he covered the mic on his phone with his right hand.

“Can I borrow a shirt?” Alan asked hopefully.

“Do your laundry!” Gordon barked.

“I tried, but the washer and dryer are always in use.”

“We have three of each!”

Alan sighed and said, “Yeah, and they’re always in use!”

Gordon rolled his eyes and urged, “Go ahead.”

Walking over to his brother’s dresser drawers, Alan looked through one of them for a t-shirt to wear. Suddenly, he felt a pillow hit him in the back. “Hey!” he yelped.

“Hurry up, kid!” Gordon demanded losing his patience with the 16-year-old.

“Okay, okay!” Alan said as he chose a blue tee with a purple octopus on it.

“And shut the door!” Gordon called as Alan stepped into the hallway. “Sorry about that,” he cooed into the phone as he returned to his call. “Now, where were we?”

* * * * * *

When Virgil was finished dressing, he knocked on Gordon’s door.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” he called as Virgil poked his head into the room.

“Dude, your room is a pig stye,” his older brother gasped.

“No, it’s not,” Gordon protested. “It’s organized chaos. I know exactly where everything is.”

“Yeah,” agreed Virgil, “...on the floor!”

“Everybody’s a critic,” the nineteen-year-old said as he joined Virgil in the hallway.

As was their habit when they wished to leave Tracy Island, the two first looked for Scott. Stopping at his room, his brothers found his door slightly ajar. Virgil nudged it open and saw the eldest Tracy son reclining on his bed reading a book.

“Hey, Scott,” the second eldest said as he and Gordon stepped into the neat room.

“Hey, guys. Sounds like your mission went well.”

“Yeah. No problems at all,” Virgil agreed with his brother who had recently returned from a mission of his own. “Uh...we were wondering...”

“There’s a party this afternoon at Cassie’s house and we want to go,” Gordon blurted out so quickly that Scott could barely keep up.

Looking from one brother to the other, Scott asked, “What?”

“This girl he knows is having an afternoon gathering over in Honolulu. You should come with us,” Virgil added.

Because of Scott’s duties as the head of the Tracy family as well as International Rescue during their father’s absence, he almost always declined when asked to join his brothers on recreational excursions. Therefore, his siblings had gradually stopped inviting him.

“You know, you have to check with Grandma about chores to see if –” Scott abruptly stopped and stared at Virgil. “You want _me_ to go?”

“Yeah! Why not? It’s been a while since you went out with us and ‘let your hair down.’ Dad’s back, so he can talk with John and keep an eye on things.”

As Scott pondered the idea of joining his brothers, Gordon encouraged him.

“Come on! You remember parties. Like, _‘Hey, girl...what’s up?’_ It’ll be fun.”

Turning to him, Virgil suggested, “I wouldn’t try that line on Lady Penelope.”

“She’s _not_ my girlfriend! Why does everyone think she’s my girlfriend?” Gordon protested.

“Well, she _won’t_ be if you talk to her like that,” advised Virgil.

“Urgh!” Gordon sighed. “Can we just get going?”

“Hmm...well, I think I _will_ join you,” the blue-eyed brunette said with a smile as he closed his book and placed it next to himself on his bed. He rose, walked to his closet, and changed his shirt while his brothers waited anxiously.

* * * * * *

As Jeff continued to scan the news on his tablet, he suddenly realized that his first, second, and fourth sons were standing next to his desk.

“Boys? What’s on your minds?” he asked as he placed the tablet on his desk and turned to face them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Virgil noticed his grandmother dusting a bookcase on the other side of the room, so he was careful not to make eye contact.

“Dad, we’d like to request ‘shore leave,’” Scott stated.

“It’s a party,” Gordon added eagerly as if the clarification would help in the decision.

Jeff looked from one son to the next as he gave it some thought. Each wore jeans and brown dock shoes. Scott donned a pale blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to three quarters. Virgil wore a white t-shirt under an unbuttoned, short-sleeved green shirt. Meanwhile, Gordon sported a bright orange t-shirt. As always, he wore five black cord wristbands – three on one wrist and two on the other – which made him look every bit the surfer.

“You boys are dressed like it’s already been decided,” the patriarch observed. Turning to Grandma Tracy, Jeff asked, “Mother? How does this work?”

Grandma Tracy helped to raise the boys after their mother died, so she had more experience with teenagers than her son Jeff had. She stopped dusting and walked toward her son. Adjusting her glasses, the grey-haired, petite doctor spoke pointedly.

“The boys normally ask Scott for permission, and he tells them that if there are no missions and I say yes, they can go – provided they’re finished with their chores.”

“Hmm...” Jeff remarked and thought for a moment. “Well, seeing as you’re all dressed up, I suppose it’s all right.”

“Yes!” Gordon exclaimed before his father raised his right index finger.

“Thunderbird 5, this is International Rescue. Do you copy?” Jeff asked.

As John’s hologram appeared on the living room table’s communicator, he replied, “I copy, Dad.”

“Your brothers would like to go on...an excursion.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard,” John replied.

“He hears everything,” Gordon whispered to Virgil.

“How are things looking from up there, John?” his father queried.

Gazing at his holographic image of Earth, John remarked, “Things are quiet from what I can see. If anything should arise, I’ll ask the GDF [Global Defense Force] to handle things for a few hours.”

“Thanks, John. Keep in touch.”

“F.A.B., Dad.”

Turning to his other three sons, Jeff rendered his verdict. “Well, boys, off you go.”

“Thanks, Dad!” the three cheered and began to walk toward an elevator which would take them to the hangar level where their father’s jets were parked.

“Is Alan going with you?” Jeff wondered.

“Alan? He’s sixteen. He’s just a kid!” Gordon scoffed.

Scott and Virgil glanced at each other with raised eyebrows before returning their attention to the teen standing next to them.

“...Okay...” Jeff concluded as he looked quizzically at his older sons.

As the three turned to leave, Grandma Tracy said, “Wait a minute. Gordon, have you cleaned your room?”

Virgil had just been in the room and knew that it was an unsightly mess.

“Ah, Grandma!” the teen whined.

Jeff looked from his son to his mother but did not intervene.

“Oh, all right. I’ll let you go this time, young man, but that room is getting cleaned tomorrow – mission or no mission!”

“Thanks, Grandma!” Gordon beamed and then ran back to kiss her.

As Jeff smiled, his mother remarked, “Isn’t he the charmer?”

The two watched the three sons disappear into a side hallway and then a few moments later heard footsteps coming down the stairs from the living quarters above. Looking over, they saw Jeff’s youngest son Alan approaching as he yawned and scratched his head.

“Young man, you slept through breakfast and lunch,” his grandmother noted.

“Sorry, Grandma. I was tired,” the sixteen-year-old said. “Hi, Dad.”

“Are you not feeling well, son?” Jeff wondered.

“He’s a teenager, Jeff. They sleep all day and they’re always exhausted. Gordon just finally grew out of that.”

“Oh,” Jeff remarked. “I haven’t had much experience with that age group. Gordon’s what now?”

“Nineteen,” his mother and Alan replied in unison.

Looking at her youngest grandson, Grandma Tracy warned, “You need to get some nutrition in you, young man.”

“Yes, Grandma.”

“Go to the kitchen right now and eat something. Would you like me to make you some pancakes?”

“No, ma’am!” Alan declined skittish at the thought of eating her famously bad cooking.

“Well, make sure you eat.”

“I will.” Looking around, Alan then asked, “Where’d everybody go – on a rescue mission?”

“Your brothers went to a party. Did you want to go?” Jeff wondered.

“No!” the teen said as he wrinkled his nose.

“Why not?” asked his father.

“Because it’s probably one of those parties with girls. Blech!” he replied sticking out his tongue as if he were choking.”

Laughing, Jeff remarked, “Alan, I have a feeling that in about a year, you’ll change your tune.”

“I seriously doubt that, Dad, but _they_ sure do like girls,” he said of his brothers.

“Oh, is this true?” his father wondered.

“Yep. They’ve all got girlfriends.”

“Alan Tracy, you stop,” his grandmother warned.

“It’s true...even John.”

“John? Where – in space?” a surprised Jeff wondered.

“Yeah. Her name is Captain Ridley O’Bannon. I met her once when John and I rescued her. She works for the GDF on their space station. She’s a nice lady...plays handball with John. He’s crushing on her _big time,”_ the teen stated.

“Oh, I see...” Jeff replied with a chuckle.

“Virgil telechats with a girl in France.”

“In France, huh?” asked Jeff intrigued.

“Yeah, he’s learning French and practices with her, but he’s got a girlfriend in Honolulu... Kelly... Karla... something like that...”

“Does he, now?” Jeff asked curiously.

“Alan!” Grandma Tracy scolded knowing this to be true.

“Scott telechats with a pilot he and Virgil rescued. I think her name is Captain Carter...Jane? Yeah – Jane Carter.”

“So, Scott has a girlfriend, too? Hmm...” the father pondered.

“He says he doesn’t have time for girls, but I can tell he likes her,” the teen advised. “He always has a goofy grin when they telechat.”

“Alan Tracy! Stop telling your brothers’ business,” warned Grandma Tracy.

“Hmm...” thought Jeff. “...and Gordon?”

“Who knows?” Alan said shrugging his shoulders.

“You don’t know?” his father asked with a smile.

“No, I have no idea. He always whispers on the phone with some girl, though,” the teen confessed not realizing that Gordon was actually whispering with his secret love, Lady Penelope.

“Young man, I want you to go to the kitchen this minute and get something to eat,” his grandmother insisted.

“Yes, Grandma,” Alan said as he stood, stretched, and began walking.

Jeff watched his youngest son leave and then remarked, “Mother, I’ve missed so much of their lives. It’s like I don’t even know the boys.”

Putting her right hand on his left shoulder, she replied, “ Son, you’ve got all the time in the world now to get to know them.”

“They seem so grounded and well adjusted,” the father observed.

“You have every right to be proud of them. You could have ended up with five rich, spoiled brats but instead, you have two teens and three young men who are brave, dedicated, and caring.”

Gratefully, Jeff concluded, “You did a great job raising them, Mother.”

“Son, I didn’t raise those boys – Scott did.”


	2. Party Like A Tracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tracy boys enjoy down time between rescue missions. Scott and Gordon make a new acquaintance.

With the Tracy brothers, there was an unspoken pecking order which was adhered to with few exceptions. It was a given that when there was an outing, the eldest in the group would pilot or drive, so when the three brothers reached the hangar housing the Tracy jets, Scott climbed into one and sat in the pilot’s seat. Before Virgil reached the plane, Gordon ran ahead and climbed in behind Scott leaving the copilot’s seat for his other big brother.

As Virgil fastened his seat belt, Scott started the engine to take off.

“Gordon?’ the eldest brother snapped.

“What?” the teen wondered looking up from his holophone.

“Your seat belt?” Scott reminded him.

“...Oh...sorry...” Gordon mumbled as he rested his phone on his right thigh and buckled himself in.

Scott then taxied the plane onto the landing strip, and they were off.

Soon, the two older brothers were chatting about their respective recent missions and their father’s return to running International Rescue. Meanwhile, Gordon sat engrossed in perusing social media.

As the eldest brothers, Scott and Virgil were extremely close and confided in one another during private conversations on an almost daily basis, which often took place in their home gym as Scott used the treadmill and Virgil either rode the exercise bike or row machine. Both brothers knew that whatever was said in confidence between them would not be shared with anyone else.

Virgil had a calming influence on Scott, especially when his big brother had been stressed during their father’s absence. Like their mother, the second son was always kind, understanding, supportive, and could de-escalate any emotionally charged situation – traits which Scott admired.

After a moment of silence, Scott suddenly announced, “Guys, Dad and Grandma didn’t have to let us go today, so we shouldn’t take advantage and stay too long.”

“Yeah, I’m fine with that,” Virgil agreed.

Gordon wrinkled his nose and frowned but did not comment.

Since Scott had mentioned their grandmother and Gordon seemed preoccupied in the back seat, Virgil thought he might share with Scott his dilemma concerning the Tracy matriarch.

“Hey, Scott, there’s something I wanted to tell you,” Virgil quietly began to say. However, before he could say much more, Scott interrupted.

“Oh, just a ‘sec.’ Before I forget, Dad wants to have a one-on-one chat with each of us.”

Looking up, Gordon stared at the back of Scott’s head and asked, “What for?”

“Got something to hide, little bro?” teased Virgil.

“No, it’s just...isn’t that weird?” Gordon wondered.

Without taking his eyes off the sky in front of him, Scott reminded his brothers, “Dad was marooned in space for a long time. He wants to get to know us – get caught up...He just wants to talk.”

“Oh...” the teen said returning his brown eyes to his holophone.

“I think it’s a good thing,” concluded Virgil who nodded at Scott.

“So do I,” he agreed.

Smiling, Virgil remarked, “I take it you’re glad to have Dad running operations now.”

“I’m fine with it. It’s the way it should be.”

“Agreed,” Virgil quipped. “You can get back to just focusing on rescue missions.” After a moment, he added, “Hey! Maybe I can ask Dad about giving me a few days off to take Captain McCready up on her offer to work with her fire fighters.”

“Leave it to you to think that putting out fires is a fun thing to do on your day off,” Gordon scoffed.

Turning to look at his younger brother, Virgil clarified, “It’s not just about fighting fires, Gordon. It’s about learning techniques that could be of value to International Rescue.”

“Or, maybe you just like playing with your ‘hose,’” the teen suggested.

“Hmph!” replied Virgil as he turned to face forward again.

Reassuring his brother, Scott said, “I’m sure that Dad would think it’s a good idea and great on-the-job training.”

From the back seat, Gordon suddenly asked, “John, too?”

“‘John, too’ what?” asked a confused Scott.

“Dad,” Gordon said. “He wants to talk to John, too?”

“Of course he does!” Scott barked.

“I mean face to face...?”

“Yes!” Scott and Virgil snapped in unison.

“Good! That means John has to come down from Thunderbird 5. He can go skin diving with me,” the 19-year-old chirped happily.

Relieved that Gordon’s query was for a good reason, Scott and Virgil smiled at one another.

Because Gordon was often his copilot on rescue missions, Virgil was perhaps more aware than Scott was that despite his frequent levity, Gordon deeply respected John and enjoyed his company. Although all of the Tracy boys surfed and enjoyed swimming, it was John and Gordon who excelled at aquatic activities. Virgil referred to them as the Tracy “mermen” and declared that the two were “addicted to the feeling of weightlessness.”

When Scott landed the jet at the airport and taxied into the Tracys’ private hangar, the brothers transferred to a three-rowed sports utility vehicle that they kept there. Just as with the jet, the pecking order was adhered to with Scott behind the wheel, Virgil sitting in the front passenger seat, and Gordon – still on his holophone – seated behind Scott.

“Okay, Gordon – where to?” Scott asked looking at the blonde in the rear-view mirror.

As Gordon read the address aloud, Scott programmed it into the vehicle’s guidance system.

“That’s not far from here,” Scott noted and then steered the car out of the airport complex.

Without his brothers noticing, Virgil took a moment to pull his phone from his pocket, type the address into a text message, and send it.

* * * * * * *

Their destination was a large estate on a wide street trimmed with Jacaranda trees and upon the Tracys’ arrival, things began to unfold as they normally did when the brothers were in town for a social gathering. Initially, they were joyfully greeted by other young men who were glad to see them and proceeded to chat about sports and cars. After approximately the first hour, the young men were always gradually replaced by young women who were enamored with the handsome and charming brothers who found themselves surrounded by girls for the remainder of the outing.

Whenever asked what they did for work, the Tracys had standard cover stories since their International Rescue identities could not be revealed.

“I work for a courier service,” Scott would say when asked about his job.

“I’m in logistics – moving heavy cargo,” Virgil would reply euphemistically.

“I’m in college studying Oceanography,” was Gordon’s answer. Of the three, he was the only one giving a somewhat straightforward answer because he was, in fact, taking a few classes remotely.

* * * * * * *

Wishing to keep track of the time and where his brothers were, Scott looked across their host’s large living room and saw Virgil surrounded by girls.

‘He’s so friendly and likeable – so much like Mom. No wonder the girls go for him,’ Scott thought.

After his wife’s death, Jeff was left to raise his five sons on his own. Since his work developing and manufacturing aerospace technology kept him busy, his mother, Dr. Sally Tracy, stepped in to help with the boys. Of all the brothers, it was Virgil who was the spitting image of their late mother, Lucy, from whom he got his dark hair and light amber colored eyes. Neither Jeff nor his mother would ever wish to show or admit any favoritism among the boys, but Virgil’s likeness to his mother created a fondness that they tried to keep hidden. However, it was not just that he looked like his mother that was notable. Like his mother, Virgil was a gifted pianist thanks to his eagerness to learn the instrument from her. This meant that growing up, he spent more time alone with her than any of his brothers did. Thus, he not only acquired her talent as a musician and artist but also her gentle temperament and nurturing spirit.

When the Tracys looked at the rugged pilot of Thunderbird 2, they saw Lucy, which is why following his rescue from deep space, Jeff enjoyed more than ever hearing Virgil play the piano – something his son decided to do every evening to help with his father’s emotional recovery.

Watching his younger brother as he chatted, Scott smiled and thought, ‘Mom would be so proud of him.’

Glancing around, Scott did not immediately see Gordon until he looked through one of the windows and spotted him in the sprawling backyard where a band was playing. He grinned as he watched the animated aquanaut chatting with a few adoring girls.

‘I remember his accident like it was yesterday,’ Scott thought as he admired how well the 19-year-old recovered from a near fatal accident months ago when his single-manned submarine Thunderbird 4 was crushed by undersea boulders. Gordon had suffered a concussion, a broken left arm and right leg, a bruised pelvis, and had been deprived of oxygen for a few moments. By the time he was rescued by his brothers and Lady Penelope, he barely had a pulse. Despite his injuries, the teen made a full recovery thanks to months of determination, daily rehabilitation, and the unwavering attention of Virgil who provided encouragement and physical assistance both in the hospital and later at home.

‘To look at him today, you’d never know the kid almost died,’ an amazed Scott noted proudly. ‘He’s a real fighter.’

Suddenly, Scott realized that the redhead he was speaking with was asking him a question.

“What do you think?” she wondered expectantly.

“Huh? Sorry...” he apologized and leaned closer to hear her above the chatter and music.

Watching Scott from the other side of the room, Virgil was once again glad that his big brother joined Gordon and him on the outing.

‘He’s spent years worrying about us and running International Rescue. I’m glad he’s taking time now to relax and just be himself.’

Of all the brothers, Scott and Virgil were the most alike. Being of similar mind and focus, when they were together, they often communicated non-verbally by just a look or nod. Although Gordon and Alan were not aware of it, John was and likened it to a secret “twin-speak.”

As Scott continued to chat with the redheaded, he glanced over and saw two girls enter the room and walk toward Virgil who smiled broadly as they approached. When they reached Virgil, he kissed one on the cheek and shook hands with the other.

‘That must be Kayla,’ Scott thought. He remembered her from interrupting one of Virgil’s holochats with her. Virgil occasionally mentioned Kayla to Scott, but he could only recall seeing her the one time.

Virgil took the girl’s left hand and said, “I want you to meet my brother.” As he began to lead her toward Scott, his big brother looked at them expectantly.

“Excuse me,” Virgil said to the redhead who had been chatting with his brother. “Hey, Scott, I want you to meet someone.”

Scott smiled at the girl and she sweetly smiled back. She was of average height with tanned skin and brown hair that bore a slight wave and golden highlights. She wore a light blue shift and brown sandals. Her companion was dressed similarly in a green shift and sandals. Her hair was dark brown and straight.

“This is Kayla,” said Virgil still holding her left hand. “This is my brother Scott.”

Extending her right hand, Kayla said cheerfully, “It’s nice to meet you, Scott.”

As his brother shook Kayla’s hand, Virgil continued with the introductions.

“...and this is her roommate, Teresa,” he explained staring at Scott for a moment and raising his eyebrows which his brother understood was Virgil’s non-verbal way of letting him know that Teresa was available. Virgil was aware of Scott’s interest in Captain Jane Carter, but he wanted his brother to know that if that did not work out, he had options.

“Nice to meet you ladies,” the elder brother remarked. He could see why Virgil was taken with Kayla. Scott thought she was lovely.

“Have you seen ‘Gords’?” Virgil asked his brother.

“He was outside the last time I saw him.”

“Thanks...we’ll be back,” he said and then led the two girls toward the backyard.

Looking around for a moment, Virgil spied Gordon standing with a small group not far away. Leading the girls over to him, Virgil said, “This is my brother Gordon.”

Surprised by the teen’s blonde hair, Kayla looked at Virgil’s black hair and then back at Gordon’s light tufts.

Virgil understood her reaction as it was one that the brothers received occasionally since no two bore the same hair or eye color.

“Our mom had dark hair. That’s where I get it from,” Virgil offered confidentially.

“Oh, I see,” Kayla said before extending her hand to Gordon. “I’m Kayla,” she said.

Ignoring her hand, Gordon took a moment to admire her tan and then suddenly threw his arms around her.

“Kayla! So happy to meet you,” the teen chirped. Taking a step back, he wondered “Who’s your friend?”

“This is my roommate, Teresa,” she offered.

Before Teresa could say hello, Gordon hugged her as well. “Hi, I’m Gordon. Nice party, huh?”

“Looks like it,” Teresa agreed as she blushed.

Just then, the singer of the band announced, “We’re gonna take a break. We’ll see you in fifteen.” He and his bandmates put down their instruments and walked away.

After a few moments, some of the partygoers who knew that the Tracy brothers were musical began to chant, “TRACYS! TRACYS!”

“Our drummer isn’t here,” Virgil informed the chanters, referring to John who was in Thunderbird 5.

Undeterred, the guests continued to chant, “TRACYS! TRACYS!”

Virgil and Gordon looked at each other, shrugged, and then looked expectantly over at Scott who was now standing in the doorway that led onto the yard. Virgil gave him a chin lift, and Scott made his way over to join them.

“We still don’t have our drummer,” restated Virgil.

“I’ll do it!” offered a young man with neck-length brown hair, a blue t-shirt, and jeans.

Looking over at the band members who were relaxing and eating not far from him, Virgil asked, “Would you guys mind?”

“Knock yourselves out,” the singer scoffed dismissively.

Walking over to the instruments, Scott picked up the lead guitar while Virgil took the bass. As the volunteer sat behind the drum kit, Gordon removed the microphone from its stand and declared, “You asked for it...”

Thanks to his mother, Virgil had an encyclopedic knowledge of music. While he was familiar with nearly every genre, Ragtime was his favorite. As the most musically diverse and trained brother, Virgil was aware of what he and his siblings were capable of playing. He vetoed a few requests from the crowd before suggesting a “golden oldie” that they knew: “Barbara Ann” by The Beach Boys, on which he and Scott added backing vocals to Gordon’s lead.

After that, they played another Beach Boys classic: “Kokomo.” By now, most of the females at the party were standing at the front of the crowd and gushing over the talented brothers.

When they finished the song and the cheers of the crowd died down, Virgil suggested another “golden oldie” that he and his brothers practiced: The Beatles song “And Your Bird Can Sing.”

“I don’t know that one,” the drummer quickly informed Virgil.

“No worries. Just follow our lead,” he said.

As the drummer hesitated, Gordon asked, “Are we doing it or not?”

“Be quiet and sing,” remarked Virgil.

“Be quiet AND sing? How can I be quiet AND sing?” Gordon jested.

Virgil shot him a glare and counted to four. As he and Scott began to play, the drummer joined them with a basic backbeat.

At the end of the song, the crowd cheered though most were not familiar with it.

Suddenly, Gordon launched into a call and response. “When I say ‘Tracy,’ you say ‘Bros.’ TRACY!”

“BROS.!”

“TRACY!”

“BROS!”

“When I say ‘Tracy,’ you say ‘Bros.’ TRACY!”

“BROS.!”

“TRACY!”

“BROS!”

Upon hearing this, the resting band became angry.

“That’s it!” the singer snarled as he rose from his seat and strode over to Virgil. “Hey, dude! We only let you play because we thought you’d suck. You don’t, so get lost!”

Virgil stared at the singer for a moment while he processed the backhanded compliment. “...Okay...” he finally said and then turning to Scott and Gordon, he informed them, “Gotta go.”

“Aww, man! We were just getting started,” whined Gordon as he placed the mic back on the stand. Before walking away, he joked, “You guys have been great! Don’t forget to tip your waitress.”

It was not until Virgil rejoined Kayla that he realized she had used her phone’s camera to film them.

“You guys were great!” she chirped.

“Aww, thanks,” Virgil replied sincerely.

Although the brothers practiced together occasionally, they had played in front of an audience fewer than a half dozen times. Today, each of the three felt invigorated by the spontaneous concert.

“We were awesome! We need to do this more often,” Gordon proclaimed before being surrounded by a group of adorning girls.

* * * * * *

Ten minutes later, Scott looked at his watch and decided that it was time for the brothers to take their leave. A simple chin lift at Virgil was enough to convey this message, and he nodded back. Scott realized that pulling Gordon away from the party would not be as easy.

After excusing himself from the guests that he was speaking with, Scott made his way over to fetch the teen. As soon as the younger Tracy saw his eldest brother approaching, he knew what Scott was going to say.

“Come on, ‘Gordo.’ We should get going,” Scott sadly informed his little brother.

“Aww! Already?” he protested. “We only just got here.”

“I can always have ‘Virg’ throw you over his shoulder and carry you out,” suggested Scott.

“Yeah, you’d enjoy that.”

When Scott folded his arms, Gordon knew that meant his brother was not in the mood for an argument.

“Oh, all right,” the teen relented. As he followed his brother toward the house, he said his good-byes.

“I’m sorry, but we need to head out,” Virgil confessed to Kayla.

“No worries. We’re gonna take off, too,” she replied.

“Okay...I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered.

As the Tracy brothers made their way through the house and toward the front door, the other guests praised them for their short concert and bid them good-bye.

“You’re the hit of the party!” Kayla exclaimed.

“It was nothing,” said Virgil humbly.

When they reached Kayla’s car, he opened the passenger’s side door to allow Teresa to climb in while Scott and Gordon walked toward the Tracys’ car.

“Good-bye, ladies!” said Scott as they separated.

“It was nice meeting you,” Gordon called as the girls waved back at him. As he turned to walk away, he gave Virgil an approving thumbs up.

Virgil led Kayla to the driver’s side of her car. Leaning her against it, he kissed her tenderly and did not want to say good-bye.

While waiting in their vehicle, Gordon once again used his phone to browse social media sites while Scott thought about other songs that the brothers could learn.

When Virgil finally helped Kayla into her car and she drove away, he joined his brothers.

Suddenly, Gordon asked, “Hey! Can we stop at _Hokey Poke_ and pick up Hawaiian barbeque for dinner?”

“That’s a great idea!” Virgil agreed and looked at Scott anxiously.

“Do you think Grandma would be offended?” asked Scott.

“We can tell her we’re giving her the night off from cooking,” Gordon suggested with a shrug.

Scott thought for a moment and then agreed. “Okay. Let’s do it!”

“We can get something for John, too. He can send his elevator down for it. What’s that dish he likes?” an animated Gordon asked.

“Kalbi Beef,” advised Virgil.

“Yeah, that’s it!” Gordon agreed as he looked up the restaurant’s website and bookmarked it.

“We should get Chicken Katsu too,” suggested Virgil.

Nodding, Scott said, “Yeah, that’s Dad’s favorite.”

A few moments later, Gordon leaned forward behind Scott and exclaimed, “Hey! There’s a surfing competition next week. Can I sign up?”

“You’ll have to ask Dad now, Gordon,” his brother reminded him.

“Oh, yeah...” the teen realized.

“He’ll probably say yes,” Virgil suggested. “I’ll put in a good word for you.”

“Thanks, bro.”

* * * * * *

After driving along quietly for a short while, Scott looked at Virgil and said, “She seems like a nice girl. What does she do?”

“She makes jewelry.”

“Oh...that’s cool,” Scott replied.

“She plays guitar and ukulele...surfs...plays beach volleyball...she’s pretty active. I like her a lot,” confessed Virgil.

Smiling, Scott admitted, “I can see why.”

As they made their way to the restaurant, Virgil glanced over his shoulder and seeing that Gordon was still preoccupied with his phone, he decided to try once again to talk with Scott. Quietly, Virgil said, “Scott, I want to tell you something...”

His big brother knew from his hushed tone that what Virgil was about to say was serious and probably confidential. Taking his eyes off the road for a moment, he stared at his sibling.

As Virgil began to give Scott an abridged version of how their grandmother discovered his “close encounter” with Kayla, Gordon began to interject comments.

“Yeah, he’s in trouble with Grandma.”

“Gordon...” Virgil warned.

“He knows about it?” Scott asked somewhat dismayed that Virgil had not informed him first.

Realizing that Scott’s feelings were hurt, he reminded him, “I tried to tell you on the way to the party. It only came up earlier today while we were talking to John.”

“So, John knows, too?” a surprised Scott asked.

Virgil sighed knowing that probably made matters worse with Scott.

“Yeah, he knows,” Gordon confirmed without taking his eyes off his phone.

“Gordon!” Virgil barked as he glared at the teen.

“It’s okay,” Scott said. “We should talk about this later.” After a few moments of silence, he asked, “When we went to save Dad, did you say good-bye to Kayla and tell her what you do...in case something went wrong?”

Virgil sighed heavily and lamented, “No.”

“Why not?”

“...I figured...if anything bad happened, she’d see it on the news...realize it was me...”

As Virgil turned his head and stared out the left window, Scott and Gordon pondered his situation. Unlike themselves and John, Virgil was keeping a secret from his love interest since of the four brothers, his was the only one who did not know that he was part of International Rescue.

Gordon wanted to offer Virgil some words of comfort but decided that it was better if he kept quiet.

The brothers drove on in silence.

* * * * * *

When the Tracy brothers reached _Hokey Poke,_ Scott and Virgil approached the counter and looked at the menu board. Meanwhile, Gordon sat on the table nearest to them and placed his feet on a chair while he typed on his holophone.

“What do you think – three orders of Kalbi Beef and two of Chicken Katsu?” asked Scott.

“Sounds good to me,” Virgil agreed.

“Hey! Seats are not for feet!” yelled the man behind the counter.

Turning, Scott and Virgil saw their younger brother sitting on the table.

“Gordon?” Virgil said.

“Huh? Oh...sorry...” he said as he slid off the table and sat in the chair.

After placing their order, Scott paid for it and sat next to Gordon at the table.

“What’s first prize for the surf competition?” he wondered.

“Huh? Oh, it’s ten thousand dollars, but it’s not about the money; I want the title,” Gordon chirped happily.

“You won last year, right?”

“No, that was two years ago. I came in second last year,” corrected Gordon.

“That’s right...” Scott said as he gave it some thought. “I’m sure you’ll take first place this time.”

“Aw, thanks, bro.”

“Tracy!” the man behind the counter called and placed two large bags in front of them.

Virgil approached the man, thanked him, and took one bag in each hand.

“Need some help?” asked Scott.

“Nah...I got this,” he said with a grin.

As the three brothers walked toward the door, Scott turned and said, “Thanks again!”


	3. The Favorite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tracy brothers return home to a pleasant surprise. Virgil takes John’s advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Poke ('poh-kay') is diced raw fish served either as an appetizer or as a main course. It is one of the main dishes of Native Hawaiian cuisine.

When the Tracy brothers arrived home, they exited the jet and Scott set it for refueling. He boarded the hangar elevator behind Virgil and Gordon, and the three rode it toward the commons room.

“That food smells so good,” Scott noted.

“I know – right?” Virgil agreed. “I can’t wait to dig in.”

Looking at Gordon who was still preoccupied with his phone, Scott asked, “Do you ever put that thing down anymore?”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t stepped off a platform while on it,” observed Virgil.

Without looking away from his phone, Gordon responded, “I’m just reading the rules of the surf competition in case Dad lets me compete.”

“Oh...well, I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure he’ll say ‘yes,’” assured Scott.

When the elevator door opened and the three stepped into the commons, they were surprised to see their father sitting at his large red desk with their brother John seated next to him. On the desk between them was a copy of a book on the cosmos which John wrote during his father’s absence. Dressed in jeans and a dark blue dress shirt, the middle son sat casually and turned when he heard his brothers’ approaching footsteps.

“John?” a shocked Gordon gasped. “What are you doing here?”

Smiling shyly, the red headed astronaut, replied, “Just chatting with Dad.”

“Hello, boys!” said their father. “Back so soon?”

“We didn’t want to take advantage,” Scott advised.

“Something smells good,” Jeff observed.

“We stopped by _Hokey Poke_ for dinner, Dad. We picked up Kalbi Beef for you, John,” stated Virgil.

“Hey, that’s my favorite!” his brother exclaimed.

“Don’t I know it!” Virgil remarked as he, Scott, and Gordon walked toward the stairs that lead to the first-floor kitchen.

Upon seeing their grandmother standing in front of the automated food preparer, Scott called to her.

“Grandma, I hope you haven’t started dinner! We bought Hawaiian.”

“Oh, Scotty! You just caught me. Hawaiian? I’ll set the table,” their grandmother offered.

“That was a close one,” Gordon whispered to Virgil, glad that they would not be eating their grandmother’s cooking that night. She had prepared dinner every night since the boys rescued their father from deep space, and they were looking forward to their stomachs getting a reprieve.

“So, Grandma, how long has John been here?” Gordon anxiously inquired.

“Oh...I’d say almost two hours.”

“Really?” the teen remarked as he wondered if his older brother would stay long enough to go for an evening swim with him.

“If you’re wondering, he’s spending the night. He can monitor space from here,” she said happily. 

“That’s great!” he exclaimed.

“Oh, Brains and Kayo are in the lab. Gordon, be a dear and call them up for dinner,” his grandmother bade.

“F.A.B.,” the teen agreed.

As the family began to assemble around the table, Gordon walked to an intercom on the kitchen counter and spoke into it.

“Hey, Brains? We’re having dinner. You and Kayo come on up.”

“Uh...thanks, but we’re r-really not h-hungry,” Brains replied assuming that Grandma Tracy cooked the meal.

“You’re turning down Chicken Katsu from _Hokey Poke?_ Okay...”

 _“Hokey Poke?”_ Kayo exclaimed. “We’ll be right up!”

‘Yeah, I _thought_ that would change their minds,’ Gordon smirked.

Once everyone was seated and scooping food onto their plates, Jeff addressed the family from the head of the table.

“This is the first meal we’ve all had together with no interruptions,” he noted. “As you all know, it’s been a sharp learning curve for me in the week since I’ve been home. It’ll still take me some time to adjust to being back. Getting to know you again is part of that, so I’d like to have a one-on-one chat with each of you to get reacquainted – to find out what you know, what you need, how you feel about what we do...” Jeff said starting to choke up at the end.

Seated to his right, Scott placed his left hand on his father’s right forearm to calm him. Jeff nodded his appreciation to his first born and remembered the moment in the Oort Cloud when the two looked into each other’s eyes for the first time in years.

“As I’m sure you’ve guessed, John’s here because I’ve started my one-on-one chats with him. I think he’s doing a phenomenal job with Thunderbird 5, and we couldn’t ask for a better space monitor.”

“Here, here!” said Scott as the family clapped.

Blushing, John quietly said, “Thanks, Dad.”

The father recalled that of all his sons, John was the one who took his mother’s death the hardest. Gordon and Alan were so young at the time that they did not remember much about her, but John was at the age that he was still very aware of and attached to her. To have his mother suddenly ripped from him wounded the sensitive middle child who was not yet as independent as Scott and Virgil were. The wound was deepened when his father was lost in space and presumed dead. Suffering from separation anxiety, young John decided that if he kept an emotional distance from others, he would not be hurt by loss again. Sensing that of all the boys, John needed him the most, Jeff decided to reconnect with him first.

“Oh, and since we’re all together, I think we should make this a regular thing. So, I’d like to try having a weekly dinner – that’s barring any missions, of course. What did we decide, John – Fridays?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Really?” Gordon and Alan exclaimed in unison.

“I can tell the GDF that we’re starting regular training. They can monitor things for a few hours and call us if it’s an emergency they absolutely can’t handle,” John replied confidently.

Scott and Virgil smiled at one another and returned their attention to their father.

“I don’t need to tell any of you how glad I am to be back and how grateful I am that you brought me home,” the patriarch continued with his voice once again cracking. “I’m also glad to see that you’ve all been safe and healthy.”

Jeff did not notice that everyone stole a quick glance at Gordon, recalling how a few months ago, the teen was almost killed when Thunderbird 4 was crushed on the ocean floor. They had each decided that either Gordon or Grandma Tracy would tell Jeff if they felt he should know.

As his mother sat at the other end of the table, her eyes filled with tears.

“We’re all so glad you’re here, Son.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Deciding to lighten the mood, Jeff declared, “Well, enough about the past... Let’s talk about the present. I’d like to hear about the party you boys attended.”

Seated to his left, Virgil smiled. “It was fun but low-key.”

“Yeah...pretty mellow,” added Scott.

“It was AWESOME!” Gordon bellowed shaking his fists with joy.

As everyone laughed, his father asked curiously, “Well, which was it – mellow or ‘awesome?’”

“It was WAY awesome!” Gordon insisted. “We jammed at the party!”

“You did?” Jeff asked, eager to hear the details.

Virgil explained. “Yeah, there was a band, but the crowd asked us to play. I tried to explain that we didn’t have our drummer,” he said looking accusingly across the table at John.

Laughing, his brother replied, “Sorry...I’m probably rusty anyway.”

“I doubt that,” remarked Virgil. “Anyway, some guy there volunteered to fill in – he’s no John, by the way – so we played a few songs that we’ve been practicing." 

“Oh, yeah? Anything I’d know?” Jeff asked as he continued to eat.”

Ignoring his food, Gordon excitedly answered, “We played ‘Kokomo’ and ‘Barbara Ann’ by an ‘oldies’ band called The Beach Boys, and a song called ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ by The Beatles.”

“Why’d you play _those_ old songs?” Grandma Tracy wondered. “Those came out about thirty years before I was born."

Looking his grandmother in the eyes for the first time in weeks, Virgil replied, “Because they’re classics, Grandma – standards.”

“How’d you go over?” a curious John wondered.

“Oh, man, they loved us!” exclaimed Gordon.

“I thought we played pretty well – even ‘fake John’ kept up with us,” Virgil remarked, referring to the substitute drummer. 

“So, someone sat in on drums. Scott, what did you play?” his father asked.

“I played lead guitar. Virgil usually plays bass, and Gordon usually sings.”

“Gordon?” their surprised father pondered. “I thought your grandmother said you play guitar.”

“I do, but I like to sing,” the teen said proudly as he rested his folded arms on the table.

“Gordon, your dinner’s getting cold,” his grandmother advised. She had noted long ago that the thin yet muscular aquanaut seemed to prefer healthy snacks to actual meals. As the natural athlete of the family, he was always active and had a high metabolism which accounted for his slender build.

“He’s a good singer,” Virgil noted. “Besides, being the front man requires a big personality, and that’s got Gordon written all over it.”

“That’s for sure,” Kayo added.

As everyone laughed, Gordon gave her a snarky grin. “The girls thought I was great!” the teen declared.

“I tried to teach him the drums, but he doesn’t have the patience to learn,” Virgil confessed.

“I don’t want to be stuck behind drums. That’s John’s ‘hideout,’ Gordon declared dismissively.

“I’m not ‘hiding,’” his big brother clarified.

“John’s a great drummer,” chirped Virgil. “He’s used to having a lot of things going on at once, so drumming’s right in his ‘wheelhouse.’”

“Thanks, Virgil,” remarked John humbly.

Curious, their father asked, “Alan, are you part of the ‘Tracy combo?’”

“Yeah, I play guitar, Dad.”

“I tried to teach _him_ drums, too,’” Virgil said. “He’s got more patience than Gordon does, but he doesn’t want to learn the basics.”

“Urgh! Learning the basics is so boring! Why can’t I just do my own thing?” the 16-year-old wondered.

“I’m trying to get John to work with him, but he doesn’t have the patience to teach,” stated Virgil.

“Or the time,” John clarified.

“Well, I’m glad that you boys haven’t forgotten about music and still enjoy it. Your mother would be proud of you,” said Jeff.

Smiling, their grandmother added, “She certainly would.”

After a few moments, Gordon lamented, “Man, I wish you could’ve seen us, Dad.”

As if on cue, suddenly Virgil’s phone buzzed in his pants pocket. When he pulled it out and looked at the message, a grin spread across his face.

“Looks like he can,” the rugged brunette replied. “A friend of mine just sent a video. She taped the whole thing!”

“SWEET!” Gordon exclaimed. “Dad, can we watch it after dinner?” he asked look anxiously at their father.

“Of course! I’d love to see it...and by the way, during our one-on-one, I want to hear all about that Olympic swimming medal I heard you won.”

Surprised, Gordon responded, “Oh, that? Sure, Dad!”

Before returning to his meal, Virgil took a moment to thank Kayla for sending the video. He also forwarded a copy to Lady Penelope so she could see Gordon in action. 

* * * * * *

As everyone continued to chat, Virgil looked around the table at all the empty plates. Whispering to Gordon on his left, he suggested, “Why don’t you earn a few ‘brownie points’ with Grandma and help her load the dishwasher?”

Looking at his older brother, the teen queried, “And deprive you of the honor?”

Virgil stated pointedly and half-jokingly, “I don’t need brownie points; I’m Grandma’s favorite.”

“You still sure about that?” Gordon asked referring to his brother’s current awkward situation with their grandmother.

As Virgil’s amber colored eyes narrowed, Gordon realized that he was not amused. Suddenly, the teen sprang from his seat and began collecting the dinner plates.

“Here, Grandma,” he offered. “Let me help you load the dishwasher.”

“Why, thank you, Gordon! Such a thoughtful boy,” the grandmother cooed.

"No trouble, Grandma,” he replied as Virgil smirked.

“This doesn’t let you off the hook, young man. You still need to clean your room,” she advised.

Frowning, Gordon admitted, “Yeah...I kinda figured that.”

As the table was cleared, the family began to reconvene upstairs in the commons area and sit around the large circular table.

When everyone else had left the kitchen, Virgil took the opportunity to speak to his grandmother alone. Nervously approaching her, he pulled a small envelope from his shirt pocket.

“Grandma?” he said as he stood next to her.

“Hey, kid...what’s up?” she asked not sure what to expect.

“I...uh...this is for you,” he said handing the small envelope to her.

Taking the offering, she opened it and read aloud the floral notecard inside.

  
_**La Fleur Petite** _  
_**Reservation for Two** _  
_**Afternoon Tea** _

Silently, she read the card again in wonderment, not sure what to say.

“Just you and me, Grandma – no ‘separate excursions,'” he noted.

Placing her right hand on Virgil’s left cheek, she cooed, “That’s my boy.”

He kissed her softly on her forehead and the two hugged, both glad that the awkwardness would now be behind them.

Slipping her right arm around his waist, the proud grandmother said, “Come on, kid. Let’s watch that video everyone’s eager to see.”

When the two joined the rest of the Tracy clan in the commons area, Virgil launched the video from his phone and projected it through the intercom in the center of the table.

As the family laughed, joked, and sang along, Virgil reflected on how the day had unfolded. He felt relieved to have the uneasiness with his grandmother behind him and was glad that he took John’s advice and approached her. With their relationship on the mend, he felt like a weight had lifted from his broad shoulders and vowed to never let anything come between them again.

~ END ~


End file.
